Going organic - a new wave in aquaculture

N. Pelletier

Abstract
Increasing consumer awareness of health and social equity issues as well as the environmental problems associated with industrial-scale agriculture has resulted in widespread interest in organic food production systems. Current growth in global demand for organic foods is estimated at 20% per annum.

Concurrently, aquaculture has become the fastest growing food sector in the world. The application of organic principles to aquaculture production systems may provide a realistic, market-driven approach to promoting environmentally and socially superior aquaculture practices.

Over the past decade, organic standard-setting agencies have grappled with the task of applying organic principles to aquaculture production systems. Various standards have been developed in jurisdictions around the world, and international standards are in draft form.

Producers of organic salmon, trout, carp, tilapia, catfish, shrimp, shellfish, and other products are rewarded with substantial price premiums in what is becoming a burgeoning market sector. In BC, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries has undertaken facilitation of industry proponents and the Certified Organic Association of BC - the provincial certification body - in developing organic standards for finfish and shellfish. These standards will regulate stock density, feed and chemical inputs, production materials, siting criteria, environmental interactions, and processing.


Reference
Aquaculture Canada OM 2004. Proceedings of the Contributed Papers of the 20th
Annual Meeting of the Aquaculture Association of Canada, Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada. Special-Publication-Aquaculture-Association-of-Canada. 2004; (8): 77-79


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